Injuries, college commitments and the NCAA’s name, image and likeness rules put a major dent in this year’s MLB draft for San Diego’s pro prospects.
There were 10 college players with local ties chosen during the two-day draft, but no local high schoolers were picked.
All 30 MLB teams passed on University City High School first baseman/left-handed pitcher AJ Curry as well as Torrey Pines left-hander Justin Jutronich, two of San Diego’s highly touted high school players.
Curry has a lucrative NIL deal with Tennessee. Jutronich, who is headed to UC Santa Barbara, a school noted for its pitching, was injured for much of the 2026 season.
Cathedral Catholic’s big three — shortstop Alex Harrington, center fielder Hunter Harrington and right-handed pitcher Shoei Darvish — also went undrafted.
Hunter Harrington #11 of Cathedral Catholic is caught in a rundown in the third inning. St. John Bosco played Cathedral Catholic on June 2, 2026 in BellflowerCA. (Photo by John McCoy, Contributing Photographer)
The Harrington twins are both headed to Stanford.
Darvish, the son of Padres pitcher Yu Darvish, was injured at the end of the season and will play collegiately at UC San Diego.
UCSD right-hander Steele Murdock was the first player with local ties taken in the draft, going to the Minnesota Twins in the fifth round.
Murdock, who had a 17-strikeout game against UC Santa Barbara, boasts a fastball that sits at 93-95 mph and has touched 99.
He was one of three UCSD players chosen, with shortstop Anthony Postestio going to the Yankees in the 11th round and catcher Gabe Camacho, who set a school record with 16 home runs, being taken by the Cardinals in the 18th round.
Camacho played at La Costa Canyon High School.
Max Bayles, a right-handed pitcher from Santa Clara who prepped at Cathedral Catholic, was taken by the Twins in the seventh round. He struck out 104 battersd in 71 innings this season.
Shortstop Isaiah Lane was chosen by the Twins in the 13th rond. Lane played collegiately at Oklahoma, USD and then Hope International after starring at Eastlake.
USD had a pair of players chosen, with catcher Jayden Lubliner going to the Cardinals in the ninth round and right-hander Diego Gutierrez going to the Orioles in the 17th round.
Lubliner, who hit .296 with 10 homers and 39 RBIs, was the West Coast Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year. Gutierrez was 5-4 with a 6.61 ERA, but had 88 strikeouts in 66 innings.
San Diego State had three players taken — right-hander Rohan Luttow (Pirates, 12th round), center fielder Jake Jackson (Angels, 20th round) and catcher Anthony Marnell IV (A’s, 20th round).
Lettow was 6-1 with a 3.79 ERA, striking out 92 batters in 78 innings.
Jackson, who played at Madison High School, led the Aztecs with a .338 average, 15 homers and 49 RBIs. He’s also an outstanding defender, but scouts were scared off because he strikes out 23% of the time.
Marnell, who is known for his defense, hit .257 with four homers and 30 RBIs.